Vampires Will Never Hurt You
by ChellieChu
Summary: Amelia Jones has been wed to a man by the name of Arthur Kirkland, a man whom she has never met before. The only things she knows about her husband are that the mere mention of his name evokes fear in everyone she knows, and that he is a vampire. Vampire!UKxFem!USA
1. Chapter 1- Beautiful Bride

Amelia slowly walked towards her new home; the large castle that loomed over the village. The girl hugged her few belongings to her chest as she looked back over her shoulder into the forest she had just come from. She was entirely alone, without even the company of her new 'husband'.

Her real home was a small village within a thick forest, and her father was what could have been called the village's mayor. There were many things that Amelia could say about her father. Though, right now, they were all negative. Alistair Jones was a selfish man, but he disguised it well. He had sent his daughter to marry a strange man in the name of protecting his village. In reality though, Amelia knew that all he wanted was to ensure his own safety.

Arthur Kirkland was her husband's name. No one in the village survived an encounter with the man. He was a monster, to say the least, and Amelia's father, desperate, had sent his only child to him in the place of spoken word while, in return, Arthur promised that he would hunt elsewhere, and leave the people of the village in peace.

Ignoring the foreboding feeling that tried to weigh her feet down, Amelia turned her attention back to the castle, which grew with every step she took. The sun began to set as the girl reached the castle. She looked ahead to the large wooden door which, even from the distance she was standing at, was taller than her. She sighed and contemplating putting her possessions down and resting after all the walking she had done. The large wooden structure before her, though intimating, continued to draw her in. Amelia allowed her mind to wander as an attempt to take her mind off her aching limbs, and it began to wonder if all this was reality.

Amelia's new husband, Arthur, was a vampire.

The door opened as she approached it, and a young brunette woman was stood behind it. The woman bowed her head as Amelia walked inside and looked around, eyes wide. Amelia's old home, despite being the biggest house in the village, could have fit into the entrance hall alone five times with space still left over. The outside of the castle did no justice to the sheer size of the interior.

Amelia heard the door close and turned to ask where she was supposed to go, but the woman was already leaving. She stood alone in the entrance hall a while before deciding that if no one was going to find her, she would find them. Adjusting her grasp on her belongings, Amelia walked up the grand staircase in front of her. The second floor was as devoid of life as the first. The only company she had was her own, and that of the doors that lined the walls around her.

"Amelia, I assume." A voice said behind her. She spun around and saw a man with blond shoulder length hair. She hadn't even heard him approach.

"Yes." Amelia replied, nodding. The man handed her a small key attached to a chain before she had a chance to ask.

"To find your room, go down this hallway. It's the last door on the right."

With that, he left. The man walked quickly away and seemed to disappear down the opposite hallway. Amelia headed to the room he had pointed out to her and unlocked the door. She wondered a moment if the man she had just met was Arthur. But surely a man as powerful as her husband wouldn't go around handing keys to people. Amelia shook her head to dismiss all thoughts of the man. She would worry about meeting him later. Her focus, instead, turned to the room she had just entered.

The room was as nice on the inside as the outside. There was a four poster bed with white curtains which matched the curtains on the window. A window seat was set against the wall with a vase that held a fresh rose sitting on the sill.

Amelia set her belongings down on the floor and lay on the bed, curling into a ball and hugging her legs. She felt tears brimming in her eyes and buried her face against her knees as a fresh sob rose in her throat.

* * *

She was later found by the same maid who opened the door for her. The woman was kind and stayed to calm her down. She finally introduced herself to Amelia as Marianne, saying that she had been given the position of taking care of the girl. Amelia listened intently while the woman spoke, drawn in by the woman's strong foreign accent.

"I've known Arthur a long time." Marianne told her.

"A-are you a vampire too?" Amelia asked.

"That's a secret, miss." Marianne winked. Amelia giggled.

Another worker came into the room then, a man this time. The violet-eyed woman stood and straightened her dress under the man's watchful eye.

"Your presence has been requested at the dinner table, ma'am." Was all he said, waiting until Amelia stood. He led the women to the dining room. Once they arrived, Marianne stood in the back of the room while Amelia sat down. Besides the two women, the room was empty of anyone else; the man having left through another door in the room.

The doors flew open, slamming violently against the walls either side of them and a man walked through. His walk was stiff, and he did not acknowledge either of the women in the room. Despite the messiness of his blond hair, he had the presence of a powerful man, one who had no mercy within his soul. Not unlike my father, Amelia thought bitterly. She looked briefly toward Marianne who nodded in response to the girl's unspoken question; this man was Arthur.

Amelia stared at the table as Arthur fell into his chair. She felt his eyes on her and allowed her blonde curls to cover her face. Dinner was soon brought to them. Amelia briefly looked up as a plate was placed in front of her to see a strangely familiar blond man, this time blue-eyed and with a strange cowlick that bounced as he moved.

He winked at her and smiled. She smiled back. As he left, she snuck a look at Arthur, who was still regarding her with interest, ignoring the plate in front of him.

Dinner remained a silent affair. Every time Amelia looked up from her plate, she saw her husband's green eyes staring at her intently. Though it may have been a trick of the light, his eyes appeared to glow slightly. Their brightness increased slightly every time she looked up. Despite still being hungry, Amelia decided that she had had enough of his staring and stood. Neither Arthur, nor Marianne spoke and so she left. No one followed.

Amelia wandered around the first floor alone. The first thing she found a locked door with a written sign above it that read "Left Wing". She sighed; a locked door wasn't a very good start.

Though, after this things started looking up. She found the kitchens, which were rather busy with people cleaning after the meal's conclusion. Other than this, the floor was the foyer and a library. Amelia looked around to see if anyone else was around. The hall was empty, so she pushed open the door and walked inside.

There were shelves far taller than her filled with books. She struck a match and wandered between the shelves. They seemed to go on for hours and hours, Amelia could have sworn that the room was an endless array of literature.

The match burnt out.

Amelia fumbled with the box, trying to light another. Rather than being a comfort, the dark looming shelves seemed to only become taller and more intimidating in the darkness. Eventually Amelia managed to light another flame, and the first thing she saw was a pair of crimson eyes embedded into an unfamiliar face that wore a malicious grin. She screamed and dropped the match, which went out as it hit the ground, and ran from the room. The door slammed closed behind her and Amelia, grateful for the lack of life in the hallway, rushed back to her room, trying to ignore her violent shaking.

She locked her door and leant against it, panting and sliding down to the floor. Eventually she found it within herself to stand and climb into her bed. She drew the curtains, laid down, and fell quickly into a restless sleep, which was riddled with strange nightmares; the image of Arthur wearing the same malicious grin she saw before, his irises the same deep crimson and his canines growing as he headed toward her.

* * *

**Ah yes, it's that time of year again. **

**But! This time I intend to actually continue the story! I even went to the trouble of planning everything out, and I so far have thirteen chapters planned! **

**Congratulations on making it this far. This is going to be a long journey indeed. **


	2. Chapter 2- Fields of Innocence

Despite the nightmares that plagued her sleep, Amelia slept well into the morning. When she awoke, the sun was already high in the sky. The chimes of the clock tower echoed throughout the castle ten times.

She briefly forgot where she was, and the weight of the blankets she had draped over herself shocked her. She struggled a while, trying to disentangle herself from the sheets. When she finally sat up and saw the curtains drawn around her bed, she remembered.

She had been married off to a man she had only met yesterday, and this was his castle. As nice as the castle was, Amelia couldn't help but yearn for her home. She threw back the sheets and pulled open the curtains, then grabbed the key off of the table beside her bed and unlocked the door.

The hall was as empty now as it had been yesterday. Amelia followed her growling stomach's advice and went to the kitchen. Inside, she saw the blond man she had met last night; the one who winked at her. He waved.

"Hey, so I guess you're Artie's wife then." He said. She nodded, trying not to think of her nightmare. "I'm Alfred. Nice to meet ya."

"Nice to meet you too, Alfred. I guess you're the cook then…?" She looked at him, a little unsure.

Alfred laughed. "I wish!"

Amelia's stomach grumbled rudely.

"Though… I could probably make you a little something; the cook isn't here right now."

"Yeah, that'd be nice… Do you want any help with it?"

"Nah, it's fine. The lady of this house doesn't have to cook meals!"

Amelia nodded and sat awkwardly on a stool while Alfred prepared her a full breakfast, complete with a warm cup of coffee. He took a seat opposite her while she ate.

"You want some?" She asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I already had breakfast, so I'm alright." He replied. Amelia nodded, silently grateful as she was certain she could eat it all on her own. The food she was having here was far better than anything she had ever had back home; even better than when a trader had given her some of his chocolate.

"So, how're you liking it here?" Alfred asked, obviously trying to break the silence.

"Well… The food is nice." Amelia replied, causing Alfred to laugh again. He seemed to do that a lot, though, she thought it was a nice change.

"Yeah; Artie's not really the best when it comes to people. I usually have to go into town for him. For obvious reasons." Alfred shrugged.

"I knew I'd seen you before!"

In her excitement, Amelia had accidentally spat her food all over the bench in front of her. Alfred smirked. Amelia covered her mouth too late and giggled.

"I guess that's why you're not supposed to talk with your mouth full." She said, her voice slightly muffled by her hand.

"I do that a lot too; it annoys my wife a lot." Alfred said, laughing.

Amelia raised an eyebrow. "You've got a wife?"

* * *

After she had finished her breakfast, Alfred kicked her out of the kitchen so he could get some of his jobs done.

Having no other plans, Amelia decided to continue her exploration of the castle. She stayed well clear of the library, recalling the incident the night before. There weren't many other rooms of interest on the ground floor, excepting for another locked door, and a door leading to a large garden.

Amelia began exploring the first floor as the clock tower chimed the hour of twelve. On this floor she found a sewing room, a smaller library, an empty room which was covered in dust, and a door which opened to reveal a round staircase. She assumed it led to one of the towers. As Amelia began walking away from the tower, she encountered Arthur. He didn't seem surprised to see her.

"Looking around, I suppose?" He looked down at her with a raised eyebrow. He seemed to be in a better mood than the night before, and Amelia felt herself relax slightly, though she still refused to blink.

"That's alright, yeah?" She asked.

Arthur nodded. "Yes, as long as you stay out of the dungeons, left wing and fourth floor." He walked past Amelia and entered the tower before she had a chance to ask why.

"Okay…" She muttered, despite the fact he wouldn't have heard it and continued her exploration, all the while heeding his advice; though it wasn't as though she could get into the left wing anyway.

Arthur didn't return from the tower, even after she had finished exploring the second floor and was ready to move onto the third. The only other room on the floor that wasn't a bed/washroom was what Amelia assumed to be Arthur's study. The room seemed rather cosy; there were a few bookcases and a desk sitting in front of a large fireplace. She quickly closed the door and left before Arthur could return and yell at her for snooping.

The third floor was the emptiest. There were many bedrooms, all of them covered in visible layers of dust. There were a few more empty rooms, also covered with dust and with heavy curtains hanging in front of the windows, which only allowed in tiny dewdrops of sunlight which flowed in through the holes in the curtains. There room most worth noting was the largest room on the floor. Inside, it was filled with clutter and was perhaps the dustiest of all the rooms. Amelia pondered walking inside, but the thought of the face in the library stopped her.

She headed back to the second floor, and as she walked past the staircase leading to the fourth floor, Arthur came down. He gave Amelia a polite nod as he passed, which she returned tentatively.

The second floor was a lot busier than it had been in the morning; the clock tower had chimed out four after the noon earlier.

She and Arthur crossed paths again on the first floor. He didn't even cast a glance in her direction as he walked into the library and closed the door behind himself.

Amelia found herself heading to the garden. She hadn't explored it properly when she found it earlier, but felt more at home out in the warm afternoon sun than she had ever remembered feeling since she was sent away.

The girl sat herself on the edge of the fountain and watched a few butterflies flutter around the flowers at the edge of the path. A blue butterfly landed on one of the flowers, resting itself next to another. Amelia buried her face in her hands as her mind turned to Arthur.

She sat like that a while, until she realized someone was sitting next to her. When she looked over, she saw it was Alfred. He seemed perfectly content sitting on the edge of the water with her and watching the same flowers she had been watching earlier.

"How long have you been there?" She asked. Alfred shrugged and continued staring at the little butterflies.

"Not long. You looked like you needed some company." He replied.

"Thanks..." Amelia looked over the rest of the garden from where she sat.

There were topiaries cut into various shapes, with rosebushes lining the paths to various locations of the garden. The flowers surrounding the fountain, which was at the centre of the garden, were bright and yellow; sunflowers. Their presence lightened up the place, and Amelia felt happier watching them sway in the slight breeze.

"It's lovely..." She said to no one in particular.

"Thank you! I worked hard on it." Alfred replied. Amelia raised her eyebrows at him.

"You're the gardener? But then... What were you doing in the kitchen?!"

"Artie makes me do other stuff too sometimes. It all depends on his mood. My abilities make me all the more employable." He grinned, and Amelia rolled her eyes.

"You planning on working somewhere else then?" She asked, half joking. Alfred and Marianne had so far been the only people who had been kind to her. She wasn't sure how she would be able to function if either of them left.

"Nah. Even though Arthur works me to the bone sometimes, it's pretty nice here." Alfred's reply put Amelia's restless mind at ease.

She sighed. "Yeah, I guess you're right... Still... I miss home." She slouched over again and rested her chin in her hands. Alfred patted her on the shoulder.

"You can visit your village whenever you want, you know. It's not like Artie's keeping you locked up here." He said. Amelia straightened up.

"Really?" She asked, a ghost of a smile beginning to form on her lips.

* * *

Amelia sat alone at the dinner table. She had met with Marianne earlier, and the woman had informed her, on the girl's enquiry, that Arthur had left and wouldn't return until Sunday, which was in three days.

She ate her meal in silence, without even the comfort of the French woman standing at the back of the room, as she had told Amelia that she had other work to attend to and would most likely not see the girl until morning.

Amelia sighed at her dinner and took a sip of her wine.

If this was how she would live out the rest of her life, it would be a very, very long life indeed.

* * *

**A ray of hope for Amelia shines in the distance!**

**I don't really have much to say about this chapter. Just ~who is Alfie's wife~?~**


	3. Chapter 3- Cat and Mouse

Arthur sat upon the roof of a strange building, a building he had never seen before. One of his legs dangled over the edge, the other he had brought up next to him to rest his arm on while he watched all the passers-by. The humans teemed beneath him; too busy rushing through their fleeting lives to notice the stranger upon the roof.

As he watched, he thought about how he had ended up in such a pitiful situation such as the one he was now in.

Indeed, the deal he made ensured that he wouldn't be killed by those Hunters, however, that Alistair fellow seemed hardly trustworthy, and his daughter was... Interesting. She was definitely pretty from what he'd seen of her; he'd at least grant her that.

The biggest downside of the deal was that he had to travel much farther away for meals. This time around, he had decided to go to a bigger city, which meant he would be gone for longer. That said, however; the bigger the city, the better the meals.

"What a pain..." He hummed.

Arthur wondered if the other man had even considered the idea of offering him another woman from the village, though he recalled the selfishness in the man's heart, and the stupidity in his eyes, and doubted it would be something he could come up with. Mayor indeed, Arthur mentally scoffed, wondering if the girl even had a say in her fate. After all, her situation had turned out perhaps even more pitiful. Though, Alistair seemed like far too controlling to have wanted for a second to have given Amelia control of what he did with her. He didn't seem too worried about what would become of the girl once she came into the possession of such a 'merciless killer', as Arthur had been called.

A young blonde woman walked below, and his mind turned back to Amelia.

The girl was indeed a spectacle to behold. She had barely spoken a word to him since becoming his wife, and seemed to fear him, if the way she hid her face behind her hair in Arthur's presence was any indication. Still, he had at least caught a few glimpses of her face; her irritating blues, which she always held wide open when she saw him, the blonde curls that framed her face, the contours of her lips—

Arthur sighed. "How troublesome."

Alfred, whom he had instructed to watch over the girl, just as he had Marianne, had told him that he told the girl she was allowed to return to her home village, which was the truth. The girl was, of course, allowed to visit her home. As long as she returned, because, despite what she may believe, there was no where she could hide from him. Her scent now belonged to him, just as the rest of her, and with that in his possession, Arthur could follow his wife to the end of the earth and back. And she would have no idea he was there.

Arthur Kirkland prided himself on his ability to hunt. He had caught her scent the very first time she entered his home, and the roses that identified that woman stayed with him wherever he went; almost as though she were a virus.

He was certain that Alistair intended to double-cross him somehow, and, if he was correct, Amelia would return home whilst he was away; possibly to help her father come up with a way to escape their own contract. However, Arthur was not the kind of man to be easily betrayed. He intended to keep a _very_ close eye on the girl when he returned home.

Arthur scoffed. The girl feared him now, but the Arthur she had met was simply a mild version of the one she would meet if she tried to escape him. Even if she were forced into the deal, she was still a part of it, and she no longer belonged to herself. Arthur did not like losing his possessions.

But there was something about that girl, something that gave Arthur a feeling of dread; she would surely become his downfall.

He would not allow it.

Finally he spotted his target; a lone woman, another petite blonde with wide blue eyes like his young wife. Arthur leapt down from his perch and approached the woman from behind. His mouth watered slightly as his canines grew and his irises began to glow a brilliant crimson.

She would not even have the opportunity to scream.

* * *

**Symbolismmmmmmmmmmm syyyyyyyyyyyyymmmmmmmmmmmmmmmbbbbbbbbbbboooooooooo ooooolllllllliiiiiiiiissssssssssmmmmmmmmm**

**Sorry about the short chapter! I promise the next one will be longer. (Trust me; I've already written it.) **

**I wanted a chapter from Arthur's pov because we should know how he feels about this situation too! Basically, he's a giant bag of dicks, and I want to kick him in the throat.**

**It gets creepier as it goes, I'm sorry. It's because Arthur is crazy. No you don't understand he's actually crazy that's the point**

**I got a lot of help from my friend who RPs vampire!Artie for this chapter, so thank you to friend!**

**On an unrelated note, I thought I should talk about the setting for a moment. **

**All of my research is centred around 1850's England, however, I'm way to lazy to research the proper speech patterns and immigration and shit. So, I suppose there's no _specific _setting, but I'm at least basing it on something, I suppose.**


	4. Chapter 4- Drowning Lessons

_~Amelia~_

The heavy front doors of the castle opened as Amelia passed them late Sunday morning and Arthur came through. He appeared to be in higher spirits than usual, as indicated by the brighter-than-usual glow in his eyes.

"W-welcome home..." Her greeting was hesitant, Amelia unsure of whether or not she was supposed to welcome him home, or if he would rather her pretend she hadn't seen him.

"Thank you." Arthur said, evidently grateful for her greeting. He handed his coat away to the maid who was stood beside him. She disappeared into a hallway that Amelia hadn't noticed before and closed the door softly behind herself.

"I heard that you were told you could return to the village," Arthur said. "So, tell me, did you heed this advice?" Arthur's voice brought Amelia's attention back toward him. She nodded, suddenly self-conscious of the fact that she had, in fact, returned to the village the day before.

"Now, now, there is no need to wear such a guilty expression. You were informed correctly." Arthur's voice was of a tone that Amelia did not recognise; some kind of triumphant purr. "Come, we shall have our breakfast together."

Arthur set off, not waiting for a response from Amelia, who remained standing in the entrance hallway, dumbfounded. She quickly came to her senses and followed him to the dining hall, taking a seat in the chair he pulled out for her; a place next to his. The girl sat in silence while she waited for their breakfast, searching for a topic of conversation.

"Say, Amelia," Arthur was the first to break the silence. Amelia looked at him obediently. "How old will you be this year?"

"I'll be eighteen in July." She replied.

Arthur's expression turned dark. Amelia thought for a moment she had said something wrong and braced herself to run if she needed to.

"I knew you were young, but to be condemned to such a life at such a young age..." The man muttered to himself. He stood and turned his attention back to Amelia. "You'll have to excuse me, Amelia. We will have to postpone our meal."

He walked away without another word, again leaving the girl dumbfounded.

"Th-that's okay..." She replied to the empty room, certain that there was something she was missing about the man. There were certainly more supernatural things about to him than she had first thought.

* * *

_-Arthur-_

Arthur's study had become cramped room with the mess it now was, as well as with the population of two within it. Arthur leant against the wall beside the window, looking out at the garden. Amelia was sitting on the fountain talking to Alfred. The two of them seemed to have become rather close while he was away, which bothered him for a reason he was unsure of.

Marianne, the room's other resident, was sitting at Arthur's desk. She frowned at Arthur; a look he thought did not suit her otherwise flawless exterior in the slightest.

"You say you ran into a group of Hunters while you were away?" She was asking. Her voice seemed distant and Arthur turned away from the cheerful pair outside to better give the woman his attention.

"That is correct," Arthur said. "There seem to be more of them lurking around these days."

"That is because it has become more of a glamorous career." Marianne smirked and took a sip from her wine, ignoring Arthur's disapproving glare. She closed her eyes to better savour the liquid, her violet irises glowing slightly when she opened them again.

"Truly the nectar of the gods." She purred.

Arthur scoffed. "You are the only vampire who believes that."

"Perhaps I am not really a vampire, and I have been lying to you this entire time."

"In that case, you would be a fantastic liar, and in a lot of trouble, Marianne."

"I am already both of those things, m' Lord."

Arthur rolled his eyes and turned his attention back to the garden, choosing to ignore the woman. Marianne glided over to him, choosing a spot on the opposite side of the window to lean against. She wore a troubled expression as she watched Alfred and Amelia.

"They're becoming rather close..." She said, her voice mirroring her troubled expression.

"Is that jealousy I hear?" Arthur asked, fighting to keep a smirk away from his lips.

"What reason would I possibly have to be jealous? I trust Alfred to be faithful. Shouldn't you be the jealous one?"

Arthur raised an eyebrow. "Why should I be jealous of that buffoon? Amelia may do as she likes."

"That may just be the biggest lie I've heard from you, Arthur. If it weren't for Alfred, I doubt the girl would even be allowed to leave her room, save for meal times."

Arthur stood in silence a moment, now taking up the position of the one with a troubled expression.

"... She is easier to control that way." He said eventually.

Marianne nodded thoughtfully. "Correct. However, if you spend all of your time worrying about whether or not you can control her, you won't learn anything. And we won't be able to figure out where all of these Hunters are coming from, and how they found out about us."

Arthur sighed. "That is an issue for another day. For now, I am tired. Go attend to your work, and keep an eye on Amelia; she is not allowed to leave the castle for the remainder of today."

Marianne nodded again, this time as a formality and left the room. Arthur sat heavily in his chair and closed his eyes. He could not keep his mind from roaming, and the places it headed were not ones he wanted it to go to.

The first thing he thought of was the Hunters. As much of a pain as they were, they were easily dealt with; they were mere humans after all. Nothing more than pathetic, mortals who were drawn to the promise of glory and fame; humans who died violently and prematurely, and some of them did not even get that. Arthur certainly hadn't.

Alfred and Amelia were different stories altogether. Indeed, the two of them were both mere humans also, but they both seemed to have a profound impact on Arthur's life, and he did not believe for a moment that he had it in his power to change that. That was a problem.

He couldn't help but scoff at Marianne's blind faith in the boy. He was young and wide-eyed; two traits which often led to swinging of loyalty and it was only a matter of time before he betrayed them.

Amelia, however, seemed an honest girl. Whether or not her honesty was because of her true nature, or her fear, Arthur did not care. As long she stayed as honest as she was, he had no qualms.

* * *

_~Amelia~_

Arthur made light of his promise at breakfast and did, indeed, return to share another meal with Amelia. He was less talkative this time around, and he wore the same dark expression he had worn when he had left during breakfast. Amelia ate her meal in silence, choosing to not try and engage the man.

He didn't stare at her this time around and, instead, focused his attention on his own meal; which he didn't appear to be enjoying very much.

Even after the meal had concluded, and the plates were cleared away, neither of them spoke; both of them refusing to be the first to leave the table. Arthur sighed, evidently bored of their childish game and stood. He didn't acknowledge Amelia as he left the room.

Amelia waited until Arthur had closed the door behind himself to leave the room and, even then, left through a different door to him.

She returned to her room and decided that, for the moment, she would rather not go to bed; the night was still young, after all.

The girl sat on her window seat and stared out the window, bringing her legs up onto the seat with her and hugging them to her chest. She heard the castle doors opening and looked down. A hooded figure glided out through the doors and paused. Amelia sat straighter and leant slightly out of the window to get a better view.

The figure looked up suddenly, and for a fraction of a second, Amelia found herself staring, entranced, into an all-too-familiar pair of glowing green eyes. She tore herself away from the window and quickly pulled the curtains closed.

She backed herself to her bed and sat down. Arthur had only returned today, hadn't he? What possible reason could he have for leaving again so soon? Amelia allowed herself to wonder for a moment, before deciding that it was something she'd rather not think about.

The both of them had their secrets, and Amelia was certain that she would not want to find out what things Arthur was keeping to himself.

* * *

**Aaah I'm sorry! I change perspective so many times in this chapter! I promise it won't happen again; I changed a few things and ended up having to combine the important things from a previous chapter with this chapter and it turned to mush. **

**Also I noticed that my writing style changes drastically whenever I write from Arthur's perspective. I'm just gonna tell you to pretend I do that on purpose. **

**So, anyway~ we know who Alfred's wife is now, ain't that exciting? **

**I promise the story will start progressing soon!**

**I wonder if anyone has noticed the theme for all of my titles~?**


	5. Chapter 5- Step Right Up

The extra weight upon Amelia's bed when she awoke was not her own. She felt something sharp pressed against her throat and forced her eyes open. The person's face was completely covered, save for their eyes. The intruder lifted a finger to their lips, telling her to stay silent. Amelia glared up at them and let out a shriek, which was cut short by the hand next to her head being placed over her mouth, and the intruder pressing the blade harder against her throat.  
The door was flung open and hit the wall with a violent crash. The invader, who was all Amelia could see, looked over. Amelia, too, tried to look, but the stranger's hold on her cheeks tightened, holding her in place.  
"Get off her." Arthur's voice said from the doorway. Amelia tried again to look, but her attempts were once more thwarted by the hand. As an act of defiance, the blade was pressed harder against Amelia's throat.  
Arthur must have done something Amelia couldn't see, as the gloved hand covering her mouth was removed, along with the blade from her throat, as the stranger prepared to defend themselves. Finally free, Amelia looked over at her saviour.  
Arthur was standing in the door way, the door beside him beyond broken with the force he had exerted to open it. He held a long sword in his right hand, a rare sight in the modern age of guns. His eyes flashed red a second before he seemingly disappeared from her sight. There was a wet choking sound beside her, followed by a loud thud. Slowly, not really wanting to find out what had happened; Amelia turned her head.  
The stranger was lying on the ground, bleeding cruelly from a wound in their neck. Arthur was standing above the body, his bloodied clothes and face matching his now-bloody sword. He looked up at Amelia, who quickly looked away.  
She didn't like the way his blood stained appearance looked so natural on him.  
Arthur headed for the door without another word. Amelia pulled back the sheets and climbed out of the bed.  
"Arthur, wait…" She called after him.  
Arthur paused at the door and turned back to her, his expression completely blank.  
"Uh…" She said, suddenly losing confidence and looking away. "Thanks…"  
"It was against both of our wills that we were so forced upon each other. But, you are my wife, and I will protect you, Amelia." He replied, his voice emotionless and flat. Without allowing Amelia time to respond, he left. The girl leant her back against the wall and buried her face in her hands. She looked over to the other side of the room, where the view of the intruder's body was blocked by her bed.

Amelia kept her eyes on Arthur during breakfast, though the man preferred to give his own meal his entire attention.  
"Can I help you?" Arthur asked eventually, looking up at the woman with a raised eyebrow.  
"I—no." Amelia looked away.  
"Would you like to take a ride with me after breakfast?" He asked suddenly. Amelia blinked.  
"I've never ridden before..." She admitted.  
"No better time to learn than the present." Arthur replied. Amelia looked back up at him, wondering why he was so intent on getting her to go with him. In all honesty, she had only ever seen one or two horses in her entire life, and even then it was from a distance.  
Still, she doubted his offer was really an offer at all. If his persistence was any indication, he was ordering her to join him.  
"I guess it couldn't hurt." She smiled.  
Oh, how wrong she was.

* * *

Arthur led her to the stables after their meal concluded. He didn't seem affected by the sunlight, and walked quite contently beside the girl, wearing an unreadable expression.  
Amelia watched him out of the corned of her eye, wondering where Arthur's sudden obsession with her had come from. She was grateful for his intervention when the stranger had come into her room, but the convenience of it worried her. Surely if the stranger had really wanted to kill her, they would have done it while she was asleep...  
All suspicious thoughts were knocked from her mind when Amelia collided headlong with a wall.  
She heard a snort behind herself, and turned to yell at the perpitrator, to find Arthur standing with both hands over his mouth, clearly trying not to laugh. Amelia stared, her hand dropping from her forehead.  
There was something so strange about Arthur in that moment. Something _human_.  
Amelia hated it.  
She hated that she loved it.

* * *

**Wow super short chapter. I'm sorry D: **

**I got a new computer and have yet to install word, so I'm writing with wordpad and it's a load of fucking shit. **

**Anyway, fluff!**

**Fluff, fluff, fluff, fluff! **

**Also you guys are huge sweeties! **

**I love you all! **

**The answer was indeed song titles, by the way. All of the chapters will be songs because I'm a lazy piece of shit. **


	6. Chapter 6- Welcome to the Family

After the morning with the stranger, and Arthur had all but destroyed her door, he had decided to put Amelia in his room after saying that he hardly uses it anyway. It had taken her a few weeks to get used to the idea, but now, a week later, Amelia found herself spending another evening staring out of Arthur's window and watching her husband leave on another of his... trips. Though this time was different; instead of going alone, Arthur was joined by another dark figure. Neither looked back as they walked away, and Amelia stayed by the window while she watched the black-clad figures disappear into the night.

She remained on the window seat this time around, leaning against the wall and staring out over the forest that housed her old home. A small part of her wondered when she had started referring to the village that way. Amelia chose to ignore it.

Absentmindedly, she played with the pendant around her neck, twirling it around her finger, and putting it into her mouth, only to spit it back out and resume swinging it around. Her door opened, and she looked over while in the process of sucking on the chain. Alfred walked in without an invitation, raising an eyebrow at the sight of the girl sitting by the window with the golden chain hanging from her mouth. She spat it out and it splatted wetly against her chest.

"Something wrong, Alfred?" She asked, sitting up straighter.

"Maybe I just wanted to pay you a visit." Alfred grinned. Amelia raised an eyebrow. She recalled locking the door when she had entered the room that night, meaning that Alfred would have had to acquire a key from somewhere. But that begged the question…

"… Where'd you get the key?" Amelia asked.

"Huh? This?" Alfred held up a shiny silver key. "It's Marianne's; she left it—and all of her other keys—in my room."

"Why was she in your room…?" Amelia asked, intrigued.

"She's my wife…?"

"_That's_ who your wife is?!"

Alfred grinned.

"… Huh."

They stood in silence a while, Amelia completely shocked; neither Alfred nor Marianne had ever spoken about the other, at least, not to her.

"… I did actually come here to talk to you, though," Alfred said. "Marianne left me this with her keys, you see." He held out a note with small, cursive handwriting on it. Amelia moved forward and took the note, reading through it.

_Mon cher, _

_I will be leaving with Arthur tonight to hunt, and will not return until late in the morning. While I am away, you should take an opportunity to speak with Amelia. _

_Marianne._

The woman had signed her name with an overenthusiastic hand.

"Hunt…?" Amelia asked, frowning. She hoped it didn't mean what she thought it meant.

"They… Uh…" Alfred's inability to word his response was enough.

Amelia sat down. "Marianne's a vampire too then?"

"Since before I knew her."

* * *

Arthur and Marianne returned later than usual, walking into the dining room not long after the clock tower struck the hour of 11am. Amelia and Alfred sat in their usual spot by the fountain, while Alfred told her about how he came to become the castle's gardener.

He had started out as a traveller, carrying with him his few belongings. His younger brother had come along too; the two of them were fifteen and sixteen. They had grown up on a small farm with a poor family. The three children, Alfred, Matthew, and Madeline, had to work hard, as they couldn't keep much of the produce for their own family. Alfred and Matthew had left to "find their fortune", as was a common thing for boys their age. They travelled a long while, eventually arriving in the next town over. People often disappear from there, and Alfred's brother was no exception.

He searched for Matthew desperately, coming up blank. That is, until he met Arthur.

The two of them met in a bar, Arthur having sought him out. Alfred was obviously shocked, not realising he had been so clearly desperate.

"I believe I know where your brother is," Arthur said, looking quite certain of himself.

"Wha- How?!" Was Alfred's incredibly well thought-out reply.

Arthur smirked, his drink still untouched in front of him. "I'm also looking for someone."

Alfred blinked. At the time, Arthur looked far too self-sufficient to be the type of man, who felt he needed anyone in his life, save for himself.

Arthur took the lead then, the two young men heading toward an old decrepit mansion just outside the town.

Arthur and Alfred snuck inside. Alfred couldn't help but to admire the sheer size of the place, even if the stairs ahead of him looked on the verge of collapse. They headed through the entrance foyer, walking straight through the door between the staircases. As they began heading farther into the room, the door slammed closed behind them. Arthur put his hand on Alfred's shoulder to calm him as the boy jumped. The room was dark, and Alfred couldn't see well, but there was something odd about the other man; he could swear Arthur's eyes actually _glowed_. Arthur's hand tightened on Alfred's shoulder, slowly becoming more and more painful. Alfred began to say something, but was cut off by another voice, one that came from the other side of the room.

"I was wondering how long it would take for you to find me," It said. Arthur's hand tensed on Alfred's arm, then removed itself entirely.

"I often found myself wondering that too," Arthur replied, a smirk evident in his voice.

"You have a rather sharp tongue, boy. It's a shame I didn't have the opportunity to hear it past your screams." The sound of the stranger's voice waltzed closer to the pair with every word until another pair of glowing irises came into view; one green, and one yellow.

The room lit up just then, the fireplace beside Alfred's hand suddenly bursting aflame. He retracted, stepping away quickly. Neither Arthur, nor the stranger paid any mind to him.

With the lighting change, Alfred was able to see the man better. Along with his heterochromic eyes, the stranger had shoulder-length mousey brown hair, which he wore loosely. He wore a smug expression directed toward Arthur, to which Arthur responded to with a ferocious glare. The two of them continued to ignore Alfred in favour of giving the other their undivided attention.

Arthur moved then. Just a split second, then he was back. A fight ensued between the two men, every movement lasting barely an instant. Alfred found himself pushed back toward the door, presumably by Arthur.

They fought for barely a minute before it became evident that Arthur was on the losing side.

Suddenly, Alfred felt someone grab him from behind. His first instinct was to grab the nearest object, which turned out to be a fire poker, and stab it into whoever it was. There was a cry, too deep to be Arthur, and the arms around him were dropped. Alfred spun around, stepping away from them. Arthur reappeared, sword in hand and swung it at the man's neck.

"We ended up finding Matthew, though it seemed like something was wrong with Arthur," Alfred shrugged. "He offered for us to come here with him, and so here I am."

Amelia stared at him. "... So you met Marianne when you came here?" She asked.

"Yes!"

* * *

Amelia wandered around the first floor, hoping to find Marianne. She found the woman easily; in the sewing room. Amelia walked inside and closed the door behind herself.

Marianne looked up, an eyebrow already raised.

"Something wrong, Aimée?" She asked. Amelia didn't respond at first, instead taking a seat in front of her.

"I... I was wondering about..." Amelia looked down at her hands, her face a brilliant red. "Alfred told me you're a vampire, so I...!"

Marianne smiled, apparently understanding the girl. "Mm," she nodded smugly. "The only thing I have to say to you, Aimèe, is to be careful. He may have trouble... Controlling himself."

* * *

Amelia left the room and stood a while in the hallway. She wondered for a moment what she was supposed to do, eventually deciding that she should just return to Arthur's room. Before she could get there, she ran into Arthur.

"Ah, Amelia. I was looking for you," he said, a strange expression on his face. "Come, follow me."

Before Amelia had an opportunity to respond, he took hold of her hand and led her down the hall.

* * *

**FrUS :3c **

**This chapter is all just getting to know the Alfie. **

**The song for this chapter is by A Day To Remember. The lyrics don't really match, but the title does!**

**Lots of time-skips, I'm sorry ;~;. I couldn't think of a way to get everything to flow without skipping a lot. **


	7. Chapter 7- Forevermore

**If you can't guess the content of this chapter by the title then I have some news for you.**

* * *

They quickly reached Arthur's room, and he made a motion to Amelia to close the door behind her. When she looked back to Arthur, he wore a troubled expression, though it softened when he caught Amelia looking.

"Come here," he said. She walked over to him wordlessly. He gently tilted her chin upwards and pressed a gentle kiss to her lips. As he went, Arthur reached behind her and undid her dress. Amelia pulled away.

"Arthur—"

"—I won't if you don't want me to."

"It's not that. I..." Amelia trailed off, unsure. Arthur seemed to understand though.

"I will not hurt you," he said and gave her another kiss. Amelia briefly recalled Marianne's warning about being careful, and then disregarded it entirely. Her dress fell to the floor, quickly followed by the rest of her clothes. Arthur's own clothing soon followed, and together they collapsed onto his bed.

Arthur took the lead, hovering above Amelia and pressing soft kisses along her jaw line and down to her neck. His lips lingered a moment on the girl's throat before moving on, his hands caressing her hips as he kissed her naval. He continued his trail of kisses, simultaneously spreading her legs. Amelia felt her face heat up, and she turned her head, staring instead at the wall across the room from her. Arthur paid no mind to her sudden shame and continued on, pressing a gentle kiss to the her inner thigh. She drew in a shaky gasp and her hands tightened on the sheets. Arthur smiled against the girl's skin, before moving on to kiss her upper thigh. Amelia's back arched and she drew in another shuddering breath as her hands tightened further on the silky sheets. Two of Arthur's fingers found their way inside her, making 'come hither' motions, which made Amelia release a low moan, her hips moving to better accommodate him.

Arthur removed his fingers, leaving Amelia panting, wishing he hadn't stopped. He reappeared, hovering above her, and kissed her again. With one hand he palmed her breast, while Amelia disentangled her hands from the sheets and wrapped her arms around Arthur's neck, the fingers of one hand running through his hair.

He pressed into her and she gasped, unable to stop herself from digging her fingernails into his back and clenching her teeth.

"It's alright, love." He whispered into her ear, and gave the lobe a light nip with sharp canines.

Amelia felt a sharp pain in her neck, though it lasted barely a moment before she felt a rush of warmth, far nicer than anything she'd ever felt before. She panted, releasing a moan on each outward breath. Her head tilted back of its own accord, and her back arched again.

As Arthur drank, the rest of the world seemed farther and farther away, until nothing mattered except for him.

"Arthur..." She whispered on her last moan, before everything went dark.

* * *

**It's short and probably riddled with typos because I fucking hATE WRITING SMUT *PUNCHES A DOOR*.**

**Anyway yeah there we go gents here's your sex make of it what you will. **

**This week's song is by Broken Iris.**


	8. Chapter 8- The Beauty and The Tragedy

The weeks that passed the Kirkland household by passed in such a quick succession that the lady of the house could barely continue to keep count of how many months she'd been a member of the household, or the first time she had lain with her husband. It had, of course, not been the last; many times a week Arthur came to bring her to their room where they would collide.

A young lady sat in her old bedroom, hugging her legs to her chest while she sat on the window seat and looked out over the garden. Amelia thought of her husband as she watched the trees sway in a barely-existent breeze. Absentmindedly, her hand wandered to her throat, where she sometimes felt a ghost of the sting from the first time Arthur had bitten her. She found it wasn't a regular occurrence; she rarely found him in a foul enough mood, and when she thought she might, she avoided him as much as possible.

"Amelia." Arthur's voice called from the doorway, as if his wife's thoughts of him had summoned him to the room. Given the turn Amelia's thoughts had taken, the sudden sound of Arthur's voice caused her to jump and stand; straightening her skirts in an attempt to hide from him her fear. Though Arthur could most likely hear the rate at which her heart was beating, if the way he frowned slightly was any indication.

"Y-yes?" She asked dutifully.

Arthur's frown deepened, "Is something the matter?"

Amelia found herself relax; Arthur's mood seemed to have gotten better. "No," she lied. "Nothing's wrong."

In truth, Amelia had fled to her old room, not only to escape her husband's temper, but also for a chance to think about the feeling of foreboding that had once again gathered in her gut.

Arthur watched her, unconvinced, though didn't pursue the subject as he usually might.

"How about you?" Amelia asked. Arthur's only response was a raised eyebrow. "Is something the matter with you?"

"No, love. It's fine," Arthur's reply would have been almost convincing, if not for the fact that Amelia already knew from earlier when she had heard him hurling the contents of his office about. She didn't comment though, not wanting to put him back in the same mood. Arthur seemed to notice her suspicion, and gave her a look that dared her to comment on his lie.

Amelia, instead, said, "You can go if you'd like, Arthur. I'm sure you have more important things to take care of."

Arthur nodded and turned to leave, but thought better of it and turned back, striding quickly back across the room and taking hold of Amelia's cheeks. For a few moments they stood together, Amelia's head tilted slightly back so that Arthur could stare into her eyes. Just as out of the blue as Arthur had grabbed her, he released her and left the room.

Amelia reached up and put a hand to her cheek where Arthur's hand had been, still feeling the warmth. She stood facing toward the doorway, staring out at the hallway the man had just walked down.

* * *

"AMELIA!" Arthur's voice rang through the halls of the castle.

The woman in question had previously been hiding in the sewing room, hoping that Arthur's anger would cause him to momentarily forget her existence until he was calm. Apparently though, no such luck. The door was thrown open before Amelia could reach for it, and Arthur stormed in. He grabbed her firmly by the arm, in a grasp that almost hurt.

"Is this where you've been this entire time?!" He demanded. Amelia nodded quickly, eyes wide. "What use are you in here?"

"I—" Amelia began her reply.

"Shut up!" Arthur snapped. He began to drag her from the room, but she resisted, grabbing onto the small room's single table and holding on tightly. Her husband turned back to snap at her, his sharp fangs bared. Amelia's fingers began to loosen on the table leg.

"Arthur!" A heroic voice called from the doorway. Amelia couldn't see who, due to her vision being blurred.

"What?!" Arthur's hand tightened on Amelia's arm. She hoped this new person couldn't see how hard she was shaking.

"Let go of her," they said. To Amelia's surprise, Arthur did. Her hold on the table tightened again in order to keep herself stable. Arthur left the room, leaving Amelia alone with her saviour. As soon as Arthur was gone, she released the table and subsequently collapsed. The stranger caught her before she hit the ground.

"Woah, woah. It's okay, Amelia, it's okay," he said as she clung to him.

"… Alfred?" Her voice broke.

"Does this happen a lot?" Alfred asked, sounding slightly alarmed. Amelia shook her head, not trusting herself to speak again. "Let me see your arm." He sat her on the table and gently lifted her arm to look at it. Amelia looked also, though quickly looked away; a large bruise was already beginning to form in the shape of Arthur's hand.

"… It must hurt." Alfred's voice was a gentle as his touch. Amelia shook her head, the lie becoming obvious when instead of going away when she blinked, warm tears rolled down her cheeks.

"It's okay," Alfred said, dabbing her tears away with a handkerchief. "He's gone now, don't worry."

Amelia climbed off the table and almost fell over again, her shaking legs giving out beneath her. Alfred picked her up, his muscular arms lifting her easily, and carried her to her room. He gently sat her on the bed and turned to leave, but was stopped by Amelia reaching out and grabbing the back of his shirt.

"Don't go…" She said quietly. Alfred paused a moment, before grabbing a chair and taking a seat next to the bed.

"I wish we could do something about that bruise…" He sighed.

"It's fine," Amelia said, hugging her legs just as she had done earlier.

"I'm sorry, Amelia, I really am." Alfred put his hand on Amelia's shoulder and she jumped, causing him to quickly retract it.

"... Sorry," she muttered to the sheets.

"You have nothing to apologise for," Alfred smiled.

"What's the matter with him, by the way?" Amelia asked, looking over.

"These aren't very easy times for the best of us," Alfred replied, frowning.

Amelia sighed and looked back at the sheets. "I wouldn't know anything about that…"

Alfred stood and reached out to cup Amelia's cheek. She put one of her hands over his and felt the sting of new tears forming in her eyes.

"I have to go deal with Arthur," Alfred sighed, dropping his hand. "Do you want me to send for Marianne?"

Amelia shook her head no, saying nothing. Alfred smiled at her once more and left the room, closing the door behind him.

* * *

Marianne gently opened the door to Amelia's room to find the girl sitting by the window, reading with the slowly fading light of the setting sun.

"It's time for dinner," she announced.

Amelia looked up from her book. "… Will Arthur be there?"

"He won't hurt you." Marianne's expression was dark, darker than Amelia had ever seen it. She trusted the protective glare of the other woman and stood, laying her book on her bed as she passed on her way to the dining hall.

Instead of Arthur, someone else was waiting by the table; young man, barely older than Amelia, with blonde wavy hair, the same man who had greeted her when she first came to the castle. She had recently discovered that he was Alfred's brother, Matthew.

"Where is Arthur?" Marianne asked her brother-in-law, frowning.

"He left early," Matthew replied, then turned to Amelia. "You'll have to dine alone once more," he continued.

Amelia nodded. "Thank you…"

Matthew frowned slightly, but left the room without another word, motioning for Marianne to follow.

Amelia sat alone at the large table. She couldn't help but notice how small the room looked with the table inside taking up a majority of the space. Despite this though, it looked so empty. She rubbed her bruised arm absentmindedly as her thoughts turned to Arthur, wondering if his sudden decision to leave was coincidental, though, considering what had happened earlier, she doubted it.

The foreboding feeling that continued to seemingly swirl within Amelia's stomach never went away. She opted to ignore it as just paranoia, deciding, like she had the first time she came to the castle, that it meant nothing.

It was almost a year until she found out how wrong she was.

* * *

**Extra long chapter to make up for the extreme shittiness of the last one I'm so sorry omfg.**

**But I did get at least a little complaint about it, but I promise I had actually planned that chapter from the beginning, so. **

**Anyway, onto other subjects**

**I realised there was a typo in chapter 6, but basically we're now in week 10 of their little marriage. I even took the time to write up a timeline:**

**wk1: 1, 2, 3**

**wk2: 4,5**

**wk6: 6,7**

**wk10: 8**

**I'll make sure to be more clear with my timeskips from now on uwu**.** Right now in this chapter they're in the middle of March, so the story started in January. **

**Super long a/n, but I felt it needed to be covered because I didn't really do so in the actual story.**

**alfred and amy's friendship makes me the happiest man alive**


	9. Chapter 9- Kill The Lights

Over the course of a year, Amelia found herself far more used to the castle than she ever imagined she'd ever be. There―though it hadn't been obvious before―was a very clear schedule to how things were run, and she had settled into it a lot easier than she would have thought.

Arthur's temper had gotten far better, and though there were times when he took out his rage on Amelia, those were few and far between, and she had learnt to ignore him.

The Kirklands—to Arthur's surprise especially—found themselves falling in love with one another, a new experience for the lady of the house. Though she asked about it many times, Amelia never found out why Arthur saved her from that stranger. Nor did she find out who they were, though she suspected that Arthur might have had an idea.

Amelia's friendships with Alfred and Marianne made the castle feel more like home to her than the village hidden deep within the forest. She had returned to the old village a few times in the past year, one of those times being her eighteenth birthday. During all of the multiple trips, Amelia had found herself avoiding her father like the plague. Though, her father didn't make any effort to force his company upon his only child.

Despite her father's continued lack of interest in her, and her husband's vampirism, Amelia's life felt almost normal. At least, for a while…

* * *

"Amy," a familiar gentle voice whispered into Amelia's ear, lulling her from her sleep. Amelia slowly opened her unwilling eyes and smiled warmly at the speaker.

"Mornin' Art," she greeted him, nuzzling deeper into his chest. Arthur ran his fingers through her hair.

"Good morning," he replied, a smirk evident in his voice. "… I do hope you're not attempting to return to sleep." He added as Amelia's body returned to its previously relaxed state.

"I'm not _attempting_, exactly," she mumbled, assuming her voice would be muffled by Arthur's bare chest.

Arthur, who continued smirking the entire time, rolled them both over so that he was hovering above Amelia, pinning her to the bed, and said, "You're certainly not succeeding either."

Amelia bit her lip for a moment, thinking.

"Certainly not now," she retorted, mirroring Arthur's smirk as she rolled them over again, this time being the one to pin the other to the bed by sitting cross-legged on his torso.

"You play an interesting game, my love," Arthur said, not deterred by Amelia's gloating grin. "But not one you can win."

"I believe I have already won, dear," Amelia purred, releasing Arthur's arms and resting her hands on his chest.

"Is that so?" Arthur asked, rolling over so that Amelia fell off. He pulled her closer and kissed her, wrapping a single arm around her waist.

* * *

Returning to her old bedroom at least once a day had become a kind of ritual for Amelia. She found that the room made her calmer and helped her think when she needed a quiet place to be alone.

Amelia pushed open the door, looking forward to the afternoon sun shining on her face. The sight that awaited her, however, was something straight from a horror story; the first thing she saw was the blood. Red painted the walls, tiny droplets of it rolled down two of the stone surfaces onto the floor.

Amelia gulped, trying to hold down the bile that she felt rising in her throat and turned to face the only wall she hadn't seen yet. The only thing she saw was Marianne. Marianne was raised slightly off the ground, wooden stakes stabbed through her hands, shoulders, and heart, keeping her up. Despite the lack of any written word, it was clearly a message to someone.

A scream rang through the castle, echoing through every crevice. Arthur appeared in the room almost instantly and caught his wife as her legs gave out beneath her. He lifted her, carrying her from the room like a bride. He set her down outside and she slid to the floor, staring at nothing with wide eyes and heavy breathing, as though she had just run one thousand miles.

Arthur kneeled in front of her and cupped her cheek. He tilted her head back slightly so that she was facing him, but Amelia kept her eyes focused on the floor.

"Amelia," he said. "Look at me."

Amelia looked up at him for a fraction of a second and returned to looking at the floor. She gave in when Arthur didn't release her and looked back up at him. He pulled her into a hug, and she clung to him as he ran his fingers through her hair, saying "It's okay, Amelia."

"Can you stand?" Arthur asked eventually, pulling out of the embrace. Amelia nodded, then, thinking better of it, shook her head. Arthur ignored her lack of faith in herself and took hold of her hands, pulling her to her feet. Amelia stumbled slightly, but with the help of Arthur's arm around her waist, her shaky legs carried her up the stairs to the fourth floor.

"I only want you to come here with me, understand?" Arthur said as Amelia looked around the room they had entered. It was dark, lit by a large fireplace set into the wall across from the door. There were multiple bookshelves stuffed with books, almost to the point of overflowing. Arthur easily found the book he wanted, gently plucking the large tome from its place on the shelf. He carried it over to a desk in the centre of the room, where he lit a candle for Amelia's sake.

Amelia read the strange symbols and words over Arthur's shoulder, goosebumps forming on her arms despite the warmth of the room.

"Arthur," Amelia frowned. "Is this―?"

"―Black magic?" Arthur's voice had an edge of pride to it. "It is."

Amelia bit her lip, unsure of how to reply.

"… I'm not sure I'll be much help," she said. "I don't have much knowledge of magic."

"You were close with Marianne," Arthur said, seemingly out of the blue. "Are you alright?" He turned away from the book as he spoke. The flickering light from the candle danced on his cheeks as he shifted.

"I—" Amelia began, though changed her mind as the dancing candle light caught a flicker of something; a sudden twitch on his cheek. "Are you alright?"

"I'd rather keep you with me right now," Arthur said, turning back to the book.

"That is not related to what I asked." Amelia frowned. Arthur, once again, turned away from his book with a raised eyebrow.

"Isn't it?" He asked. Amelia's frown deepened while she tried to figure out what exactly he meant by that.

* * *

**Late update because I couldn't think of how to transition between anything. **

**I'm a bad person, I know. Be grateful I cut out the part with Alfred, because trust me it hurt. **

**Anyway, I'm sorry about the major timeskip! Though, really, the falling in love part isn't actually important to the story. Though, I'm always the type to indulge myself so there will be lots of flashbacks. **

**The story is finally starting! **

**This week's song is by The Birthday Massacre, and last week's was by my favourite band, Trading Yesterday! (I**** realised that I had forgotten to mention it.)**

**edit: thanks to a lovely tip I realised that I actually had the chapter twice. It has since been fixed**


	10. Chapter 10- Hide and Seek

Amelia never really found out what it was that Arthur had done while they were on the fourth floor. She wasn't sure if that was Arthur's doing, her lack of knowledge of magic and how it works, or a mix of the two. She assumed the latter.

Amelia had found that Arthur left less often over the past few months, several times a week rather than daily. Over the weeks following Marianne's death, he left even less; sometimes once or twice, and sometimes not at all. Arthur would always inform her through other members of the household if he'd be gone for more than a day, though it had been a while since he had done so. So, when he left and didn't return for three days, the castle was in a frenzy. Amelia bit her lip during meals, doing her best to act the part of a proper lady despite the chaos she around her, and her own fear for her husband.

The middle of the night on the third day finally came, and Amelia threw back the sheets she had been pretending to sleep under. Sprinting up the stairs, she made her way to the fourth floor, where she hoped she would find an armoury. She wasn't disappointed. The large metal door took a lot of strength to open, but, to her surprise, Amelia found that after a while it grew tired of the woman constantly hurling herself at it and gave way. Lifting the lantern she had been toting, Amelia looked around. The walls were lined with weapons, quite a few that she didn't recognise. Upon picking up a sword, she almost dropped it, surprised by how heavy it was. She unsheathed it and, holding it with both hands, swung it. The blade clanged loudly on the floor, and Amelia responded by dropping it, which made an even louder noise. She turned instinctively toward the door, which, to her relief, didn't open. Amelia ran her fingers through her hair, which had grown to her waist over the course of a year. She lifted a dagger from the table and, turning it over in her hands, found she liked it far more than any of the swords. Amelia raised the blade and hacked away at her blonde locks until the tips touched the tops of her shoulders.

The stables weren't as silent as the rest of the castle, what with the sounds of the horses whinnying in their sleep. A cool breeze blew through the wooden structure as Amelia, now dressed as a man, tiptoed through. She pressed her hands to her bound breast in a feeble attempt to slow her heart. Her fingers wrapped around the small metal heart-shaped pendant that she wore around her neck. It had been a gift from Arthur, when he gave it to her he said that it would protect her, though she wasn't too sure how exactly it would go about that.

With no idea where she planned to go, Amelia mounted her horse; a white mare that she had named Emily. Another cold breeze blew on Amelia, raising goose bumps on her arms, and causing her to shiver. She cast a final glance toward her home. The stars glistening in the dark sky above begged her to come home safely. Amelia turned away, wishing she hadn't looked back and turned her mare toward the path that led to the only other home she'd known. Together, they disappeared into the night.

* * *

The door banged loudly against the wall, Amelia slipping through before the door could rebound off the wall and close again. Rushing footsteps sounded on the floor above, the house's only remaining resident caught by surprise. He came down the stairs, stopping when he caught sight of his daughter in the doorway.

"Amelia…" His eyes widened and he took a step forward, which he retreated when Amelia pulled Arthur's dagger from her belt.

"Where is Arthur?" She asked, holding the dagger with two hands to hide her shaking, not bothering with small talk.

"What has that monster done to you?" Alistair, again, took a step closer, looking at Amelia with pity.

"Shut up!" Amelia snapped. "You're more of a monster than he is!"

"Come, my dear," Alistair pleaded as Amelia stepped closer. "This is unlike you."

"Not that you would know what kind of person I was before you sent me to what you were sure would be my death," she snarled, unable to stop eighteen years' worth of bitterness rolling off her tongue.

"Ah, but, see, you are alive, as I knew you'd be." The desperate and pleading man looked nothing short of pathetic in Amelia's eyes. He saw the hatred as clearly in her eyes as she saw the fear in his.

Alistair continued to back away from the woman, who advanced on him with an aura bordering insanity. As he came to the stairs, he tripped and fell hard onto the first few steps. Amelia was on him in barely a second, holding the blade against his throat in a way that mirrored a similar attack on her life an age ago.

"Where. Is. Arthur?" She hissed. Alistair's demeanour changed beneath her, and he spoke with the air of a man with nothing left to lose.

"You," he snarled, "should be glad that monster is gone. I see your scars, Amelia. You cannot hide from them forever."

Something in the back of Amelia's mind wondered what her father meant by "scars", but her hatred for everything about the man beneath her blade was louder.

"You've yet to answer my question, _father_." The word "father" tasted bitter on her tongue.

Alistair smirked. "I do not know where your vampire is. I now know, however, that you are perfectly suited for each other."

Amelia pressed the blade harder into his throat for a moment before pulling it away completely. Without looking back, she left, slamming the door closed behind her with an air of finality, all the while telling herself that the only reason she had to spare the man was not wanting his blood on her hands. She mounted her horse again and returned to the road, all the while trying not to linger on what her father had said.

* * *

**The initial part of this chapter seems pretty rushed, I know. I just couldn't figure out how to write it properly; my notes weren't very thorough, and, really, the most important part of this chapter was the scene between Amy and her father.**

**Anyway! Here we are finally! The thick of the plot! **

**I can't really think of anything else to add, so...**

**This week's song is by Imogen Heap!**


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